Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Grievous to be borne (dusbastakta). A late word in LXX and Plutarch (duv and bastazw). Here alone in text of Westcott and Hort who reject it in Matthew 23:4 where we have "heavy burdens" (fortia barea). In Galatians 6:2 we have barh with a distinction drawn. Here we have fortizete (here only in the N.T. and Matthew 11:28) for "lade," fortia as cognate accusative and then fortioiv (dative after ou prosyauete, touch not). It is a fierce indictment of scribes (lawyers) for their pettifogging interpretations of the written law in their oral teaching (later written down as Mishna and then as Gemarah), a terrible load which these lawyers did not pretend to carry themselves, not even "with one of their fingers" to "touch" (prosyauw, old verb but only here in the N.T.), touch with the view to remove. Matthew 23:4 has kinhsai, to move. A physician would understand the meaning of prospauw for feeling gently a sore spot or the pulse.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Luke 11:46:
Luke 12:4
Acts 27:9
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